Omph...what a week!

Ever have one of those weeks that just absorbs your focus and before you know it, you have not slept more than a handful of hours and you're gazing blurry eyed into the mirror wondering where it all went? Yeah, me too.

So, busy week recap. Built up a geared 29er with a mix of Columbus, Dedda, custom drawn down tube, gently s-bent 4130 stays and breezer dropouts. Add on a curved stay brace and custom disc tab and this is one Sweeeeeet bike. The build went very smooth and am looking forward to getting this one built up into a full bike before shipping it off. Unfortunately, I don't get to paint this one, as it is destined for a metallic jollypop powdercoat.

The first HO Down DJ fork came back from powder and was installed on one of our local fly guy's rigs. He is going to take it up to Ray's Indoor Bike Park this weekend and give 'er what fer! Already impressed with the lightness of the front end after taking off the Rock Shox Pike...a weight reduction of 2.5 pounds...should be able to sail high off the table top!

The week wound down the last two days with some 16 hour pushes to finish 6 forks; a custom Ho Down xc for Jim in Cali...destined for his classic YO, a custom Ho Down xc for Roy's build...destined for Holland, another Ho Down in 1.0" for Dicks retro build, a cross 29er fork for the Black Jellybean Bigwheel for Cubby, and 2 more DJ forks as I had the fixtures already set...need a fork for big air or a tough 29er trail fork? Email me, I've got two left.

Gonna slow down for the week of Thanksgiving to see my kids and run out to see a showing of Spamalot, a stage production loosely based on all good things Monty Python.

Enjoy the Holidays,

rody

a lil' FAT loving...

Well, can't believe that November is already here, the last week has totally disapeared on me.

I cranked out a couple of forks and got started on Zach's Bigwheel geary since the last post, but the time in the shop today was interesting...

Today I had a chance to work on another retro project. Brian was lucky enough to find a fairly mint Yo Eddy from 94 that has spent the better part of the last 10 years in storage...it needed a good repack and cleaning. I do not typically wrench much anymore, as I've been very busy with the fabrication end, but took on this project for two reasons; Brian is an enthusiastic personality that you can't help but like, and I've got a soft spot for old kit.

The frame is in very nice shape, sporting a team violet to yellow paint with only minor blemishes at the right chainstay and under the down tube (from the Manitou's crown).

As I started disassembly, I could see that even though it did not have many miles on her, she was showing the years. As typical with so many Fat's, the bottom bracket/seat tube area had taken a beating due to the sealed tubes trapping condensation. The bottom bracket on this Yo had mucho rust inside with scaling present.

The bearings were toast and the spindle needed some time on the wire wheel to clean it up.

The seat tube was not as bad, but needed some luv as well. Ended up reaming the areas, chasing the bb threads, drilling a weep hole from the inside of the bb to the inside of the seat tube and then coating it all with LPS rust inhibitor; should be good for another 13 years.

If you own a Fat, you owe it to yourself to get aggressive with the preventative measures...it'll thank you for a lifetime.

New press in bearings and NOS collars finished out the attention for the heart of the bike's drive train.



The rest of the repack was quite enjoyable...M730 XT parts and lots of Phil grease, smooth!

Now it looks like Brian is thinking of building a Big One Inch fork, custom stem, and adorning her with love handles...all painted to match. This will definitely take this cool ride into the stratosphere.

cheers,

rody